How To Elevate Trader Joe's Apple Blossoms For A Gourmet Dessert

Apple pie is a nostalgic dessert that many regard as the perfect ending to a holiday feast, often eaten in the company of loved ones and alongside a tall glass of milk or cup of coffee. This classic treat also works beautifully with a wide range of flavors, from traditional vanilla a la mode to a drizzle of sugary caramel or — daringly — a thin slice of sharp cheddar cheese. Each of these familiar pairings is distinct from the others, demonstrating apple pie's versatility and universal appeal (pun intended). Of course, anyone who's baked one knows that the phrase "easy as pie" is actually an oxymoron, since making an apple pie requires mixing and chilling the crust, peeling and chopping apples, and then monitoring everything while it bakes. If you're having a craving but short on time, TJ's Apple Blossoms are one of those Trader Joe's sweet treats you can't miss.

These succulent little tarts feature plenty of gooey, cinnamon-y apple filling cradled in a flaky crust and topped with a touch of cinnamon streusel. TJ's sells them in packs of two, and many reviewers swear they taste temptingly homemade. However, the best part about these mini desserts is the opportunity to experiment with new apple pie pairings. Since one blossom is a single serving, you can get super decadent with your toppings without worrying about things getting too rich. Serving these delicious little tarts with unusual accompaniments is also a great idea for an easy dessert to round out your next dinner party.

Cheese — particularly sharp cheddar — is almost as common a pairing for apple pie as whipped topping, particularly in New England and the Midwest. The reason it works is because the nutty, salty, savoriness of the cheddar contrasts and enhances the apples' tart, sugary sweetness, bringing out the subtler flavors in both. Knowing this makes it pretty easy to upgrade this pairing with a handful of other cheeses, many of which are just a few steps away in TJ's dairy aisle.

It's fairly well-known that Trader Joe's offers a lovely selection of unique cheeses, many of which would add delicious elegance to its apple blossoms. The chain's cinnamon-dusted Toscano, for instance, offers a balance of sharp and earthy, with the cinnamon coating bridging the gap between it and the blossoms' apple-rich filling. However, if it's the right time of year, Trader Joe's Clover Gouda is creamy and lightly floral, offering a cheesecake-esque flavor and texture to the apple blossoms. Grate and sprinkle either of these cheeses onto the pastries when they're warm from the oven, giving the cheese time to melt without browning.

The baked lemon ricotta is also a lovely choice, with a bright sweetness perfect for a summery twist on these tarts. Ricotta bakes beautifully, so you can certainly put it on your blossoms to warm up while they're in the oven, or you can spoon the dense chilled cheese over them for a lovely contrast in both temperature and flavor.

Vanilla may rule when it comes to popular apple pie pairings, but there's no reason not to branch out and try something new. Beyond flavor, the frozen dessert's main appeal is the cold, creamy texture pitted against the warm, lightly crunchy crust and soft apples.

If you need more convincing, masala chai is a gorgeous way to literally spice up your apples. Serving a small quenelle of masala-flavored ice cream next to a toasty, warm TJ's apple blossom creates an elegant, indulgent dessert that's not too risky. Masala chai blends frequently contain ginger, cinnamon, and cloves — seasonings Americans typically associate with autumn and apple-forward desserts.

However, masala blends pump up the volume with the addition of things like fennel seeds, peppercorns, and cardamom pods. These piquant, earthy, and astringent spices draw out apples' floral sweetness, while curbing their sugary notes. To avoid overshadowing either component of this dessert, we suggest serving them side by side in a shallow bowl. This will allow the ice cream to melt and puddle beneath the apple blossoms, letting the flavors meld without covering the blossoms' lovely shape.

Since these delightful little treats are called "blossoms," it's only fitting to elevate them by leaning into the flower theme. Caramel is already delicious when paired with apple-based treats, but adding floral flavors like lavender or rose takes this partnership from classic to classy. Apples love caramel because it's literally a combination of roasty, melted sugar blended with butter, an intensely sweet and rich flavor that apple's light acidity easily cuts through.

Add the woody, herbaceous scent and flavor of lavender to this combo, and it slices through the sugary flavors to pull tangy notes from the apples to the forefront. Something similar happens with rose-infused caramel, especially since apples and roses are in the same botanical family. The aromatic sweetness of rose caramel infuses the apples with a taste reminiscent of black tea, adding a lovely layer of unexpected complexity.

Understandably, these flavors may be a little hard to find on grocery store shelves, but making homemade floral caramel sauce isn't complicated — it's basically the same recipe, but with food-safe blossoms added. To serve, just drizzle it over your TJ's tarts while they're still toasty and warm.

When it comes to kid-free gatherings, there's no reason your dessert shouldn't serve double-duty as a beautifully boozy nightcap. If you love having a tipple of whiskey or bourbon with your apple pie at Thanksgiving, draping Trader Joe's apple blossoms with bourbon-infused whipped cream may be the flavorful, decadent dessert you've been dreaming about.

It combines the soft, velvety sweetness of whipped cream with the spiced, oaky warmth of bourbon, which intensifies nearly every aspect of TJ's apple blossoms' flavor profile. The fluffy dairy keeps everything from getting too astringent, while the bourbon balances the sugary notes.

This dessert is also fairly hangover-proof, since a single batch of this lovely whip only contains a few tablespoons of booze, at most. When serving, it's best to keep your whip chilled for as long as possible and let the blossoms cool for a bit before dressing them.

If sweet and salty desserts are your game, Trader Joe's apple blossoms offer the perfect foundation to building your perfect after-dinner treat. As if the combo of crisp, salty pretzels and crunchy toffee bits isn't already delicious enough, the addition of bacon adds a burst of smokey richness that beautifully brings all the contrasting flavors together.

Though toffee is often thought of as hard caramel, it has a distinct toasted, almost bitter undertone that helps it meld with the saltier, savory flavors. However, its distinct sweetness enhances the apples' own tangy notes, preventing them from being lost or overshadowed under the bacon and pretzels.

Additionally, this crunchy topping adds texture and interest to a relatively soft dessert, and it's extremely easy to make. Just crush and combine the pretzels, toffee, and bacon bits and sprinkle them on top of the baked apple blossoms to taste.